Air conditioner enclosure with removable panel



June 8, 1965 J, w. KREUTTNER 3,137,662

AIR CONDITIONER ENCLOSURE WITH REMOVABLE PANEL Filed May 15, 1962 FIG.3

INVENTOR. J0 3 141 M. Kfit'I/TTNM United States Patent 3,187,662 AIR CONDITIONER ENCLOSURE WITH REMOVABLE PANEL Joseph W. Kreuttner, North Tarrytown, N.Y., assignor to Buensod-Stacy Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Ohio Filed May 15, 1962, Ser. No. 134,906 1 Claim. (Cl. 98-38) The present invention relates to enclosures and particularly to a new and improved enclosure for air distribution devices for air conditioning systems.

Prior known enclosures for air conditioning systems generally include access panels that are screwed in place or held in such a manner that a prying action is required to remove them. Enclosures of this type are usually painted or finished to blend with the decorations of the room or zone in which they are located. Consequently, removal of such panels causes chipping of the finish and discoloration thereof to the detriment of their appearance.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an enclosure for air distribution devices that are located within a room or zone to be air conditioned, and in which the appearance thereof will not be adversely affected by servicing the devices enclosed thereby.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an enclosure in which an access panel comprises a wall of the enclosure.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an enclosure having an access panel that has no protuberances thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an enclosure in which the access moved and replaced although handle means.

In one aspect of the invention, an exterior wall of a room or zone to be conditioned may comprise windows beneath which air distribution devices may be arranged, either within the wall or slightlyspaced therefrom. These devices may comprise mixing chambers having separate warm and cool air inlets and a single outlet leading to a distribution header. connected to the one end of ducts passing upwardly through the floor of the room or zone being conditioned, which ducts lead to a source of warm and cool air.

In another aspect of the invention, an enclosure for the air distribution devices may comprise sill means that may be located within a wall, or may extend from the wall inwardly into the room or zone being conditioned, and it may be provided with outlet means for directing the mixed conditioned air into the room or the zone.

In still another aspect of the invention, baseboard or anchoring means may extend along the front bottom of the enclosure such that the sill means overhangs it.

In a still further aspect of the invention, removable panel means may include supporting means on its inner face and at its bottom for interlocking with the baseboard or anchoring means, and permanent magnetic means may be mounted on the inner face of the panel means near its top for maintaining the panel means in position adjacent the sill means.

In still another aspect of the invention, suction cup means may be employed to separate the plateand armature of the magnetic means when it is desired to remove the panel means so that no prying of the panel is required which would cause chipping or discoloration of the finish of the panel.

The above, other objects and novel features of the enclosure means will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing which is merel exemplary.

it contains no exterior panel can be readily re- The warm and cool air inlets may be 3,187,662 Patented June 8, 1965 In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wall of a room to be air conditioned to which the principles of the invention have been applied;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially along line 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the principles of the invention are shown as applied to a wall of a room or zone to be conditioned. The wall 10 may comprise studding 11 or other suitable Wall construction means to which an outer sheathing 12 may be applied. Suitable openings may be provided in the wall 10 for the reception of window frames 13.

Flooring 14 may be provided with passages 15 through which flexible connecting means 16 may pass. The means 16 may be connected to duct means (not shown) below the flooring 14 that extends to a source of cool and warm air. The flexible connectors 16 may terminate in inlets 17 and 18 within a V-shaped mixing valve 19. There may be two flexible connectors for each mixing valve 19, only one being shown in FIG. 2. The mixing valve 19 may be connected to a mixing chamber 20. There may be one or more such mixing chambers 20 depending upon the size of the zone or room to be conditioned. In the embodiment disclosed, four are shown in FIG. 1, and each is separated by a partition 21 (FIGS. 1 and 3) covered by a channel member 22 having flanges 23 for a purpose to be described later.

Each mixing chamber 20 may support at its upper end a distributing header 24 into which the mixed air from chamber 20 passes. The distributing header may be as long or longer than the mixing chamber, depending upon the construction to which it is to be applied, and usually is as wide as said chamber. The distributing chamber 24 may include one or more outlets 25 and they may be arranged in a top cover 26 of an enclosure 27. The top cover 26 may extend outwardly from wall 10 beyond the header 24 and chamber 20, and may be supported at its outermost point by the partitions 21 (FIG. 3).

A base board or anchoring means 28 may be mounted along the floor 14 spaced from the wall 10 beyond the openings 15 within the floor 14. The baseboard may comprise a flange 29 extending toward the wall 10 at its bottom, and a flange 30 extending away from wall 10 at its top. The opening defined by the top cover 26 of enclosure 27 and the baseboard 28 is adapted to be closed by a removable panel 31 that will provide a flush surface completely along the enclosure and including the outer surfaces of the channel members 22.

It is desirable that no protuberances or screw fastening means be employed on the outer surface of the panels since they detract from the architectural aspects of the enclosure 27. In the embodiment disclosed, an angle member 32 may be fixed to the inner surface of the panel 31 at the bottom thereof. The angle member 32 may include a flange 33 adapted to interlock with the top of the baseboard or anchoring means 28.

One element 34 of a permanent magnetic means may be fixed to the undersurface of that portion of the distributor header 24 that extends beyond the mixing chamber 20. A plate 35 may be fixed to the inner surface of the panel 31 in position to cooperate with the element 34 when the angle 32 is in cooperating position with the top of the baseboard 28.

Removal of the panel 31 may be effected by using a suction cup device (not shown) that may be pressed onto the outer surface of the panel 31 near its top and pulled outwardly, thus overcoming the magnetic attraction of the magnetic device 34. Then by lifting the panel 31 slightly,

s e-mesa it may be removed from the baseboard 28, exposing the mixing chamber 20', mixing valve 19 and header 24 for repair, adjustment or maintenance.

Although the various features of the new and improved enclosure for air conditioning equipment have been shown and described in detail to fully disclose one embodiment of the invention, it will be evident that changes may be made in such details and certain features may be used without others without departing from the principles of the invention.

What is. claimed is:

In an air conditioning system, a mixing chamber adapted to .be mounted adjacent'a wall of a room or zone to be conditioned; flexible connectors respectively extending from said mixing chamber through the floor of the room or zone to separate sources of hot and cold air; an air distributor header on the top of said mixing chamber and supporting a cover plate having outlet means leading from said header to the room or zone being conditioned; baseboard means fixed to said floor and arranged at the front of and below said mixing chamber; a vertical removable panel having its bottom edge arranged to cooperate with said baseboard means and its top edge to cooperate with said cover plate; and magnetic means near the top of said panel for holding said panel in place in front of said mixing chamber with said cover plate and baseboard means a side and top for an enclosure means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES. PATENTS 1,875,918 9/32 Ewald 237-79 2,727,454 12/55 Jones 236-43 X 2,755,927 1/57 Wulle 98-40 2,844,402 7/58 Hughes 292-251.5 2,880,752 4/59 Kreuttner 9838 X 2,990,210 6/61 Frenstad .1 292-251.5 3,041,047 6/62 Ashley et al. 23613 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,236, 5 6/ France.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. FREDERICK L. MATTESON, 111., Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,187,662 June 8, 1965 Joseph W. Kreuttner It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered pat ent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below Column 4, line 4, for "chamber with" read chamber and forming with afterlirie 9,;i13sert-the following:

2,701,998 2 55 Wu11e--- -----9840 line 11, strike out "2,755,927 1/57 Wulle -98-40".

Signed and sealed this 15th day of February 1966.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. IN AN AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM, A MIXING CHAMBER ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ADJACENT A WALL OF A ROOM OR ZONE TO BE CONDITIONED; FLEXIBLE CONNECTORS RESPECTIVELY EXTENDING FROM SAID MIXING CHAMBER THOUGH THE FLOOR OF THE ROOM OR ZONE TO SEPARATE SOURCES OF HOT AND COLD AIR; AN AIR DISTRIBUTOR HEADER ON THE TOP OF SAID MIXING CHAMBER AND SUPPORTING A COVER PLATE HAVING OUTLET MEANS LEADING FROM SAID HEADER TO THE ROOM OR ZONE BEING CONDITIONED; BASEBOARD MEANS FIXED TO SAID FLOOR AND ARRANGED AT THE FRONT O AND BELOW SAID MIXING CHAMBER; A VERTICAL REMOVABLE PANEL HAVING ITS BOTTOM EDGE ARRANGED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID BASEBOARD MEANS AND ITS TOP EDGE TO COOPERATE WITH SAID COVER PLATE; AND MAGNETIC MEANS NEAR THE TOP OF SAID PANEL FOR HOLDING SAID PANEL IN PLACE IN FRONT OF SAID MIXING CHAMBER WITTH SAID COVER PLATE AND BASEBOARD MEANS A SIDE AND TOP FOR AN ENCLOSURE MEANS. 